Rumors
by Rise Openly
Summary: There were whispers in the village that said they were in love. It wasn't true. Gaara/Sari, one sided Gaara/Matsuri.


**A/N:** I love both the pairings here. I'm thinking of writing more drabbles/oneshots between the two while I work on a GaaSuri of epic proportions. Please review! I've never written any of these characters before.

**The Legalities of the Situation:** _Naruto_ is (c) Masashi Kishimoto.

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><p><strong>Rumors<strong>

There were whispers in the village that said they were in love.

It wasn't true.

Outsiders looking in would smirk behind their hands as they watched the young Kazekage and the long haired kunoichi together, hissing amongst themselves as to the nature of their relationship. _It's love_ one would say, but another would merely counter with a scoff of_ it's pure lust_. The topic remained a hot subject of debate no matter what either of the involved parties did to quell the gossip, not that either tried very hard.

Gaara was oblivious.

Sari rather liked the attention.

It was Matsuri that was furious.

In fact, if looks could kill, Sari would have been dead the moment she traipsed into the Kazekage's office, her slender arms laden with a number of important-looking scrolls. The dark haired girl wore a wide smile that flashed a set of perfectly straight, bleach white teeth. She bounced with each step, a physical manifestation of her bubbly nature, and Matsuri seethed where she stood near Gaara's desk. She was keenly aware that she had lost the Godaime's attention.

"Kazekage-sama!" Sari gushed, bypassing all manners or formalities and scuttling around Gaara's desk to stand beside him. "Guess what I have for you?"

"I hope it's the chuunin examination documents," the former jinchuuriki said flatly, taking the topmost scroll from Sari's arms and breaking its seal.

"You betcha," she said, dropping the remaining scrolls down on the desk. She slapped one palm down on the desk and leaned upon it, placing her other hand on her hip while looking at the Kazekage expectantly.

Gaara coolly perused the scroll he had taken from Sari while Matsuri looked on at the scene. These were the types of things that made the villagers and other Suna shinobi talk, she decided. Everything about it was purely sickening. Why did Sari have the right to stomp around the Kazekage's office as if she owned it? What possessed her to stand so close to Gaara-sama and throw her hips out like that?

Why did Matsuri care?

Somewhat impatient, Matsuri watched her former teacher's face closely as he analysed the scroll. She recognized it as one of Iwagakure's scrolls by its colors, a deep scarlet and teal blue. Gaara finished reading and rolled the document back into itself and placed it neatly towards his right. Silently, he reached for a second scroll where Sari had dropped them hapazardly. The long haired girl cleared her throat abrasively. Gaara looked up at her, his expression as close to quizzical as Matsuri had ever seen, and Sari stared down at him as if she were a true hardnose.

A beat passed.

"Kazekage-sama," Sari prompted with a hint of a whine.

"Thank you," Gaara replied at length, the faintest flicker of amusement hidden in the depths of his jade eyes.

Sari smirked and flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder. "You're welcome. Also, Temari has just returned from Konoha with the latest from the Hokage about the exam. She'll be up soon, I saw her talking with Baki-san outside."

There was no audible reply from Gaara, but the redheaded man nodded his head in acknowledgement as he broke the second scroll's seal. Sari accepted his response, reaching out and adjusting the folded white collar of his kage's robe and disappearing out the door from whence she came with an amount of flounce and gusto equal to her arrival. Across the desk, Matsuri awkwardly remained in silence as Gaara read over the second scroll. He paused his reading, his gaze trailing to Matsuri.

She felt like he had only just remembered she was there, though she knew it wasn't true. He placed the scroll he was reading down and focused once more on her, his former student. His gaze said clearly, _You were saying?_

"Nothing, Gaara-sama," Matsuri said quietly.

He nodded much like he had earlier in response to Sari and returned to his scroll. Matsuri sensed she had been dismissed. She exited the office quickly and directly, the contrast between the two kunoichi sharp as the tip of a kunai. Closing the door softly, the short haired kunoichi continued on her way, passing by Temari as the Kazekage's sister made her way to her youngest brother's office. Matsuri stepped outside where Baki still remained, squinting in the bright sunlight as it bounced off the dunes.

If she listened closely she could hear the whispers of Sari and Gaara's love and it made Matsuri frown, her heart suddenly inexplicably heavy.

It might be true.


End file.
